Grooming Dr Reid
by PanicButton
Summary: Reid is being stalked by something not very nice.  Pre to Scarecrow
1. Chapter 1

Grooming Dr Reid.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine. All original characters belong to PanicButton.

He needed to see him everyday so he followed him carefully. He took the same train in the mornings. He bought his coffee from the same stall holder. He walked the same steps he took. He visited the library the same day, and took out the same books and read them just as fast. He watched him and he wanted him. He needed that soul to be part of him. He needed to devour his spirit and destroy him and take him as his. So he watched. He watched closely. He hacked his computer and took information from him. He visited his mother and lied to her about his own. He tricked and lied his way into the mind of this young man. Not much younger than himself, but so very different. He needed Dr Spencer Reid.

Sometimes he brushed against him. Felt him against him and pushed his body against the young profiler on the busy train. Smelt his hair and his soap and his shaving foam. He could smell his spirit and his soul. This was something he needed. He hadn't needed anything like this since he was a young boy. No woman, no animal, no man had ever come this close to being it.

Then he would back off for a while. He was only too aware of the intelligence inside the agents head. He would physically back off and contact him via emails.

Or telephone him just to hear that voice saying "hhhhello?"

All his life Flanders had been pushed and pulled around by uncaring unloving stupid people. He didn't know who is parents were. He was raised by the clan. No one wanted to accept responsibility for this child. This weird child who liked to hurt animals with knives and concoctions he made from herbs and fungus. No one would hold him and say goodnight or good morning. No one would scold him for something he did. No one told him not to do these things. They just moved on and left pain and devastation behind them.

He was a teenager living in New Hampshire when he picked up a news paper. It said about a boy in Vegas. A genius child. Small report on a child called Spencer Reid. There was a small picture of him. Small child with a big smile lots of hair and glasses. He reminded him of himself. He went to the elders.

"We are going to Vegas."

No one ever questioned him. He was tall he was strong and the clan elders did what he requested.

He never really considered that what he was doing was stalking. It was more like following and mentoring, teaching and loving. That was all a long time ago now. He had been keeping his eye on the boy's progress and slowly started the process of grooming him into shape. That boy was a man. A beautiful man.

Flanders still took great delight in hurting animals and people. He fantasised about making the perfect person. He removed himself from Vegas for a while and lived in a house in the woods. And here he made his first dolls. His first loves. It was here that he collected fungus and herbs from the poisoned land and made a gift for his love. Dr Spencer Reid.

………….

Reid sat on his comfy chair in his apartment and nibbled on chocolate and read a new book. Well in actuality it was an old book. He had however just picked it up from the second hand book shop down the road. They had seen it come in. A man sold it to them for virtually nothing and it looked old and interesting so they held it back to see if the young doctor would be interested in paying through his cute little nose for it. They were not disappointed. So Reid settled in for a nice read of something good and old and new.

The phone ringing dragged him back from somewhere. He wasn't sure where. He looked at the book in his hands. It was open about half way through but he couldn't remember reading it. He frowned at the book and picked up the insistent phone.

"H h hello?" The caller display said 'private' but there didn't seem to be anyone on the other end. He tried to ring back but it was an unknown number. Some stupid glitch he supposed. Hmm he had eaten all the chocolate and now he was going to have to start the book over again because he couldn't remember reading it!

With a big sigh he got up and went for the kitchen, freezer door, ice cream, then back to his chair and the book. As he picked up the book the phone began to ring again. "Hello?" he said down it again and again nothing. He pulled the line out of the wall, then turned to his cell phone and turned it off. Deep down he knew he shouldn't have just done that. But not so far down he needed to read this book in peace and quiet.

The computer bleeped. Once again he put his book down and placed the tub of ice cream on a mat on his small oak coffee table and got up to see what the computer wanted. He had new email. Reid plonked himself down to see who it was from. It was via a message board he was part of. It was for puzzles and such. And this email was to tell him there was one attached to try if he dare. If he dare? Do they think he would fail? He glanced over at the book and went to get his ice cream. Sitting at the computer desk he opened the attachment. All virus scanned and safe he had a look at it.

His monitor was covered in symbols and squiggles. Right in the middle of the page it just said 'READ ME SOLVE ME' He sat and looked at it. What to solve? He didn't understand what he was meant to do. Read me solve me? He hit print and took the copy back to his chair to look the page over again in comfort. He forgot the ice cream, and he forgot the book.

………..

Reid was running late for work. He had fallen asleep in the chair and awoke with a smacking headache and still no idea how to solve the puzzle. He took a quick shower and gulped back some coffee and ran for the train. He didn't notice the man with the glasses standing next to him. Maybe a bit too close to him. He didn't notice how he knocked against him as the train shuddered through the stations. He didn't see the look of pleasure on the mans face as he caught the sweet smell of a freshly washed Reid. Spencer's mind was fixed firmly on the puzzle he had been sent.

They had to go away for the case. Floyd was not happy about this, but not to worry. He spent a day in Reid's apartment. Silly boy hadn't put the alarm on that morning. But that was all part of the training. All part of the grooming process. He sat in Reid's chair, and he lay on Reid's bed. He ran his hands over all the work surfaces in the unused kitchen. He opened up the drawers and buried his face in Reid's clothes, taking in the soft aroma he loved so much and he left no trace that he had been there. He even set the alarm for his dear friend. He was kind and considerate like that.

………….

When Reid got back three days later he opened the windows to let out the odd musty smell and flicked on the laptop. It pinged the arrival of a new email from the board, and he printed it out and sat and stared at it until the morning.

A knock on the door pulled him back from where he was and he got up stiff and headachy from his chair and checked the spy hole in his door. JJ…what did JJ want with him on his day off. He opened the door a crack and frowned at her.

"Grumpy face Dr Reid." She said to him and waved some donuts at him.

"Erm – JJ?"

"You said to bring you some round this morning Spencer." He put his hand through the gap in the door and made a grab for them.

"Spencer for goodness sake let me in." And she pushed the door open and walked in.

Reid looked nervously around and put himself between her and the lounge.

"Erm JJ no. Thank you but no. I need some space."

"Dr Reid have you got someone here with you?"

Why did he feel guilty? He had nothing to feel bad about. He was just reading email. Why try to cover that up?

"It's just not a good time JJ sorry." And he took the donuts and guided her back to the door.

"I will see you at work tomorrow?" She looked right into his eyes. He both loved and hated it when she did that. It made him want to reach over and smell her hair and feel her warm skin next to his…………..What was he thinking!

"Erm – JJ? Er yes. T t t tomorrow." And he slammed the door and locked it. He took the donuts back to his chair and picked up the two bits of printouts and sat and looked at them. And looked at them and looked at them until morning.

…………..

**A/N first bit of a new bit…tell me if it is trash, and I will delete it. Thank you very much!**


	2. Chapter 2 Paper

Paper 

Criminal Minds is not mine. All original characters belong to PanicButton.

Where is Reid?" Morgan asked looking around at the door out of the round table room.

"He called in sick. " Hotch answered as they collected themselves together for the briefing.

"I went to see him yesterday. He didn't seem sick. He seemed really uneasy and secretive. I thought someone was there with him. He wouldn't let me all the way into his apartment."

"Well that's probably not a bad idea. Have you ever seen that place? Very odd. Like something out of the 1930's"

"Beside the point. He called in sick. No need to discuss his personal habits too." Hotch was looking a bit cross with them.

………….

That day saw Reid going to the local stationers. He was still wearing the same clothes as the day before. He was unshaved and dark rings deepened under his eyes. He had done something he never thought he would and called in a sicky. He bought a stack of different coloured paper and a guillotine and then walked back home again not seeing the man watching him and smiling from the other side of the street.

Reid took the paper and carefully laid it on his table. He unwrapped the guillotine and placed it next to the paper. Spencer then went to his small kitchen and made fresh coffee.

He sat for the rest of the day looking at the paper he had printed out.

At about 6pm he dropped the print outs to the floor and picked up a bit of paper. He stroked it and looked at it and ran his fingers along the edges. Then he sniffed it.

Spencer placed the paper in the guillotine and carefully cut. He cut with precision and slowly. He cut every bit of paper he had into small squares. Then he picked one up and folded it. Then twisted it, and then folded and twisted some more. Then he threw it on the floor. He looked at it laying there and went to pick it up. He took it and put it to his nose and looked confused. For the rest of the evening Reid sat and twisted paper into the shapes of different animals.

In the morning he made a call to Hotch.

"Er – I think I need another day. – Yes all is fine - well no I am calling in sick – yes Hotch – yes I will – no no I wont.- no need I will probably be back tomorrow – being sick still – yes – thank you."

And he put the phone down and stood and looked at it. He had just lied to his boss. He had just lied to Aaron. He turned to the computer as is bleeped at him.

……….

Flanders sat at his computer and typed. He typed symbols and words and numbers. He would sit and think, and make a note on paper then return to the computer smiling. He had a cheroot between his lips and a tumbler of whisky at his side. The ash occasionally dropped onto the keyboard where it stayed as his fingers flitted over the keys. "My plaything. Perfect." He said to himself. A distant bleeping sound drew his eyes from the monitor and to a door at the back of the room. He got up and dropped his cheroot on the floor where he ground it in with the heal of his dusty cowboy boot.

He walked through the door and down a short corridor towards a big black door at the end. He stood and looked at the strange dark warped wood and smiled. Then entered a room to the right. It was a laboratory of kinds. Flasks bubbling and oozing and little things floating in bottles. He walked over to a big flask on a back bench and stirred it slowly. He picked it up and walked back to a table in the middle of the room. The table had stacks of brightly coloured paper on it.

Floyd reached into a cupboard and brought out a small mask which he placed over his mouth and nose…he then began the careful slow process of treating all the paper with the chemical in the jar.

……….

The next day Reid was late for work. He looked unkempt but clean. He had too much sugar in his coffee and he complained about the amount of paperwork there was in his tray. He put some back in Morgan's tray and stared at him in that oh so not very threatening Reid way. They all looked at him with silent sideways glances and when he went to go the men's room Morgan followed him.

"Reid man are you OK?"

Reid spun on Morgan "Derek I am fine. I have been off work with a bug and I get back to find that not only has no one bothered to help me out a bit and cover some of my paperwork, but you have offloaded yours onto me too. So yes Derek I am just fine."

Morgan took a step back from the pissed off Reid and held his hands up. "Sorry Reid its just that………."

"No. The answer is no…please don't ask." And he went to the basins and washed his hands.

……

In the morning Reid got a special delivery before he left for work. It was a large package and his heart skipped a beat when he held it in his hands. He went to his chair and sat down and carefully removed the paper outer cover. Inside were sheets of paper in every colour you could think of. Slowly he reached out for the phone.

"Aaron? – yes – I erm – well yes I think it is food poisoning – erm yes – no – why? Oh yes - I will be sure to." And he put the phone down. It was easier that time.

He took the new paper sheets and laid them next to the guillotine. The other paper he pushed to one side.

Reid sat in his chair and pulled the paper close and ran his fingers over it, then gently licked his fingers. A distant look swept across his face. A look of pleasure almost a look of lust. He shuddered and carefully started to cut the new paper into small squares.

That evening Reid's phone rang.

"H h hello?"

"Spencer."

"Who – who is this?"

"Did you get my gift?"

"Er yes."

"You need to go back to work Spencer. They will come looking for you."

"Oh yes." He looked puzzled.

"Spencer."

"Yes?"

"I need you here with me. The princess is waiting for you."

"OK."

"And Spencer?"

"Yes?"

"You will be mine."

"I know. I am waiting for you. Where are you?"

"I am pulling you to me. Soon Spencer soon."

And the line went dead.

Reid sat and licked the chemicals from his hands then got up and made fresh coffee.

……………

**A/N short…time ran away and I needed to post. **


	3. Chapter 3 The Pull

The Pull

Criminal Minds isn't mine.

The dolls didn't always work out first time around. He had to keep collecting new bits. Some of the bits were already diseased though. He couldn't use them. He would use some good bits just for decoration. The room at the end. The holding room where he would sit and carve his pumpkins and his things he had collected. Careful to keep things organised and well - peaceful. So the new heads and old were placed together. Sometimes on inside the other but always facing outwards towards to centre of the holding room. He would want his Spencer to see this. He wanted Spencer to feel proud of what he was to become part of.

Floyd placed his dolls in the woods, but made sure that they never went beyond the big tree in the clearing. Floyd loved that tree and so he was keeping it special. He coated it in chemicals and poured his noxious mixture into the ground where it sat and waited. He had been waiting so many years for this time. It was only now though that he was ready, that the princess was complete.

He stood at the side of the quiet road and waited for a car. He had no care who was in the car. It didn't matter to him. He just needed more bits. More fun. More.

As he saw it round the corner he stepped into the small road and raised his hands. The car pulled over and the driver, a young woman with too much makeup looked through the wind shield at him. She gestured for him to move, but he slowly walked to the driver's window and made 'wind down' motions with his hand. She cracked the window about and inch.

"Can you help me?" he asked

"Er – what's wrong?" she asked. An open face with a nice smile. A shame about the slap she had all over it.

He gestured for her to open the window a bit more, and pointed to his ear. "I can't hear you properly." She was going to be easy.

And he was right. She opened the window. And he dragged her right out the car there via the window. He took her. Then when he had finished he killed her like the stupid animal she was. He gently removed the muck from her face and placed her head next to number 3 head on the shelf. He wanted Reid to be sure he would see this one. This one he would like. This one he would have read about and seen reports on. By the time he gets here he will know all about Kat and her abandoned car on the little road. It would be nice for him to have a friend to keep him company. He was scared of the dark, so this will help comfort him. Floyd knew that he would have to let Spencer come down a bit off the drugs when he was here. They worked better that way he had found out. Short bursts of intense over powering usage.

Nice.

………..

Reid wasn't his normal fact spouting self at work. He still had piles of paperwork to do. He still felt watched. He just wanted to get home. He was getting tired of the way Morgan was looking at him. He was bored with the look on JJ's face. He wasn't sure if it was pity or puzzlement.

As the office began to empty for the evening Gideon approached the younger agent.

"Reid – game of chess?" he asked. And that damned look! This was getting tiresome.

"I already told Morgan." And Reid started to pack his bag ready to go home.

"You play chess with Morgan?" Gideon said softly.

Reid gave Gideon a look. "I already told him I was clean."

"That wasn't what I asked."

"I know what you asked and I know you are prying. Leave it be, I am really not in the mood." And Reid left the office.

His journey home went in a blur. He couldn't keep his mind off what would be awaiting him at home. He needed to get to that computer and see if there was another puzzle. He sat on the train making little animals out of the paper he had stuffed in his bag. Each one was then inhaled and some of them he ran over his tongue. They made him tingle inside. They made him feel different. They made him feel pulled but he didn't know what he was being pulled towards.

Reid burst into his apartment. He had stopped putting the alarm on. No one would break into his place. He had nothing worth taking anyway, and who would be stupid enough to break into the home of an FBI agent. The name Elle screamed at him so he rubbed at his eyes until the strange feeling that something was wrong had passed.

He dropped his bag on the floor and went to his lap top. He turned it on, and it made the friendly bleep of new email. He smiled and stroked the keyboard happily then sat and started to read.

There was an essay on dolls and scarecrows there. Reid assumed it had come to the wrong person because this had no connection with anything he had read or been involved with. He read it anyway. The Princess doll. No pictures, just text. He read it then deleted it and got down to what he really needed to look at. The puzzles. There were more there this time. And slightly different. He printed them off and went to the chair and sat and read them and twisted bits of paper in his hands. He hadn't even taken his jacket off. He was still sitting and reading in the morning, when the telephone pulled him out of the trance.

"H h h hello?" his voice cracked with the lack of sleep and caffeine.

"It's nearly time. You will know. I will call you."

"Are you sure?"

"Go shower and change. You will have them talking." And the line went dead.

Reid looked down and saw the hundreds of little things he had been making throughout the night. He felt so tired. He felt unwanted unloved and used. He was angry with the team. They all suspected he was taking some drug. Why cant' they believe him? Whey cant they leave him alone. This is just the sort of pressure which would put him right back in that place.

He got up and took a quick shower and got dressed. He stuffed some paper in his messenger bag, then just held a piece in his hand and ran his tongue over it. Spencer stood and held it and looked at it then carefully and slowly ran his tongue along the edge cutting the tip of his tongue and causing it to bleed. He shuddered and smiled then began to tear small bits off and eat them delighting in the tingly quivering feeling it sent all over his body. The lights seemed brighter, the sounds louder, and he could smell the leather on his shoes.

Spencer Reid felt good.

……..

He was on time for work. He looked awake, and he felt good with himself. They were called into the roundtable room for a briefing on a series of murders in Maine ………………………

Reid noted how hot JJ was looking today. She was in a tight sharp black suit. Very snappy, and it looked good with that hair. That hair that he wanted to pull towards himself and breathe in.

He shook his head. What was he thinking?! Doing that was as unlikely as doing it to Aaron. He looked over at Hotch who was head down looking through the notes in the file. Reid doubted Hotch used apple shampoo, but he suspected JJ did. He wondered what Hotch's hair would smell like.

"Reid?" His head shot round to look at Gideon so fast he thought he would get whiplash.

"Er?" His face flushed. Could Gideon read his mind? He hoped not.

"You looked a bit spaced out."

"The answer is still no. It will always be no. You don't have to constantly check up on me. You make me feel like a naughty child." And he sat and twisted bits of paper in his hands and looked up at the screen JJ was clicking away at.

…………

The man in the hat and the glasses and the dusty cowboy boots stood at the edge of the forest and waited for his Spencer. He lit a cheroot. They were on the way. He had made sure they would slow down to look at his toys hanging in the trees. He was looking forward to this. If Spencer arrived as he planned then he would know everything was falling into place. He could hear the cars so he stepped back out of sight and waited.

A train of SUVs slowing to look at this craftwork. "I am here Spencer. I am here." and he saw the hand reach up and the palm touch the glass. "Soon. I will call you once I have told the princess you have arrived. Then I will find a way to collect you. Wait for me."

And as the cars moved on again Flanders walked back to find his princess playing in her garden.

……..

Reid stood with the others in the hotel. When he heard something. Something from in the back of his mind. Something calling him from a deep dark hole in his soul. Calling him from that place he lived when he was being secretive. It pulled him away from the others and out of the rear exit through the kitchens. He stood for a while and looked at the man standing there. For a brief moment he thought he should go back and get Gideon or Hotch but he didn't.

Flanders saw the hesitation and beckoned Reid over and gave him a small paper animal. Reid needed a recharge. He took it and breathed in the scent then held out his hand to Flanders and smiled.

"Hey you won't be needing your cell." And Floyd grasped Reid's hand in his and lead him away from the hotel grounds. His phone lay smashed on the ground.

………..

**A/N and if you want to know what happened next read Scarecrow.**


End file.
